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Iran's deputy foreign minister warned against a planned French-British effort that aims to support maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities are over. "The presence of French and British vessels, or those of any other country, for any possible cooperation with illegal US actions in the Strait of Hormuz that violate international law will be met with a decisive and immediate response from the armed forces," Kazem Gharibabadi said on social media. French President Emmanuel Macron responded by saying it won't be a military deployment but an international mission to secure shipping once conditions allow. Several attacks against ships in the Persian Gulf have occurred over the past week, and a US effort to "guide" ships through the strait was quickly paused. South Korea announced initial findings from an investigation that said two unidentified airborne objects struck the South Korean-operated vessel HMM NAMU about one minute apart while it was anchored in the strait l
France's aircraft carrier strike group is moving south of the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea in preparation for a potential French-British mission in the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday. The deployment puts Europe's most powerful warship closer to the strait whose effective closure has come to epitomise the war in Iran, stranding hundreds of ships and triggering what the International Energy Agency calls the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. The defensive effort is distinct from the US "Project Freedom" that launched Monday and was paused by President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening. The repositioning of the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle and its escorts comes as part of a proposed mission championed by France and Britain to restore maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as conditions allow. It "may help restore confidence among shipowners and insurers," Macron said on X. "It remains distinct from the
Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris on Monday, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. The world's richest man and Linda Yaccarino - the former CEO of X - have been summoned for "voluntary interviews," while other employees of the platform are scheduled to be heard as witnesses throughout this week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. It remains unclear whether Musk and Yaccarino will travel to Paris. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions from The Associated Press and Yaccarino's current company, eMed, did not answer a request sent to the press email. The reason for summoning Musk --------------------------------- Musk was summoned after a search took place in February at the French premises of X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office. Musk and Yaccarino have been ..
India and France on Monday carried out a comprehensive review of their bilateral ties in areas of civil nuclear energy, defence, space and digital cooperation against the backdrop of the West Asia conflict. In their talks in Paris, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary-General of the French Foreign Ministry Martin Briens also exchanged views on the evolving situation in West Asia. The talks were held under the framework of India-France Foreign Office Consultations. Separately, Foreign Secretary Misri also met French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Emmanuel Bonne, the diplomatic advisor to the French president. Misri travelled to Paris after concluding a three-day trip to the US. "Both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the progress made in various facets of the bilateral relationship, especially in context of the elevation of ties to Special Global Strategic Partnership and the visit of President (Emmanuel) Macron to India in February," the Ministry of External
Iran has allowed two French former detainees, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, to leave the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday. They had been holed up in French diplomatic premises there since their release from prison. "CEcile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on route toward French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran," Macron tweeted. The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signalled how Iran is differentiating between nations, treating some favourably and others as foes, in the context of the Iran war. Macron has distanced France from the conflict, saying his country wasn't consulted in advance about the US-Israel strikes and didn't want the war. Macron thanked Oman for playing a mediation role. "It's a relief for us all and obviously for their families," Macron wrote.
French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed on Friday to work together to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease global economic uncertainties caused by the war in the Middle East. Their summit in Seoul came as US President Donald Trump slammed allies for not supporting the US and Israeli war against Iran. Macron was making his first visit to South Korea since taking office in 2017 as part of an Asian tour that already has taken him to Japan. Macron told Lee at the start of the meeting that the two countries can play a role in helping to stabilise the situation in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz, according to South Korean media. At a joint televised briefing afterwards, Macron underscored the need for France and South Korea to cooperate to help reopen the strait and de-escalate Middle East animosities, while Lee said the two affirmed "their resolve to cooperate to secure the safe shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz." The tw
Emmanuel Gregoire, a Socialist little known to the French public, was elected mayor of Paris in a runoff vote Sunday, succeeding fellow party member Anne Hidalgo. Soon after claiming victory, Gregoire, 48, took a city bike through the streets of Paris toward City Hall, echoing his promise to make the French capital greener. Gregoire beat out prominent conservative contender Rachida Dati, who acknowledged her defeat after partial results were made public. The race for Paris mayor was part of France's second round of municipal elections. Sunday's vote showed clear gains for the traditional left and right, and one major win for the far right in the French Riviera city of Nice. Long a discreet figure in French politics, Gregoire had for years worked by Hidalgo's side. Hidalgo was elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020 but chose not to seek a third six-year term after leading the city through the 2015 extremist attacks and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Here are five things to know about Par